Thrombosis is the formation of a thrombus, or blood clot, within the vascular system of a patient. A blood clot typically occurs when blood hardens from a liquid to a solid. When attached to vessel walls, blood clots, and other substances, such as plaque or fat, may reduce or block blood flow downstream from the clot. This partially or completely blocked blood flow may prevent normal blood flow and oxygen from reaching certain tissues and, thus, may result in damage to the tissues. If a clot becomes dislodged from the vessel walls it may travel to other portions of the vascular system, where it may ultimately occlude critical blood flow. Regardless of the particular location of the clot within the vascular system, clots consisting of blood or other substances, if left untreated, may cause serious damage and, in some cases, may become life threatening.
A wide variety of invasive and non-invasive techniques are available for breaking up and/or removing clots within the vascular system. For example, some techniques include the use of pharmacological agents, also referred to as thrombolytic agents, to help dissolve the clots. Other techniques may include the use of mechanical agitation to dislodge clots from walls of the vascular system and/or a device for capturing clots. For example, a device described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0249815 to Jantzen et al. teaches a device for breaking down and capturing a thrombus. The device includes an inner catheter disposed within an outer sheath. The device also includes a rollsock that is everted upon itself and connected to the distal ends of the outer sheath and inner catheter. A scraping device is attached to the outer surface of the rollsock such that when the outer sheath is moved relative to the inner catheter the scraping device is exposed to an inner surface of a body vessel. Although this device may prove effective in particular procedures, there is a continuing need for clot removal systems that are effective and that offer reduced risks.
The present disclosure is directed toward one or more of the problems or issues set forth above.